Six Ways To Be A Better Writer

I have transitioned from a public school teacher to an online writing teacher. Over the 26 years in my traditional role I attended several writing conferences.

The Writers At Work conference hosted by Ruth Culham in Sun Valley Idaho was one that had profound impact. I did not know the landscape could be so beautiful in a place I associate with potatoes. This education celebrity met with her small circle of authors every year to plan workshops for the year. Then she opened it up to other educators. The travel there had been adventurous for me with a small plane flying through a thunderstorm. It reminded me of the first time I was on a plane when I was 6 years old.

One of the speakers was Ralph Fletcher. In a small white building, he stood at the podium and shared how everyone can be a writer with a lowercase w. There is only one difference: Capital W writers get paid. If you write, you are a writer.

Photo by Unseen Studio on Unsplash

To write, one must carve out time to do so. Here are a few of my tips on how to get that work done.

MY ACTION LIST:

1. Bradbury Challenge

2. Unpack the Text

3. Learn Through Your Ears

4. Write in the Edges

5. Challenges

6. Join a group of creatives or writers

BRADBURY CHALLENGE

Ray Bradbury said to read one poem a night, one short story a night, one essay a night, for the next 1,000 nights.

This is his formula for a self-imposed MFA. It works.

I find it impossible to not improve your writing if you follow this formula.

Good Words In = Good Words Out.

Read what you like from authors you like. Right now, I am reading the most fantastical and absurd writing I can get my hands on.

If you have been following me for any length of time then you know this is one of my favorite things. I am a voracious reader but I like the intention of this formula. I love this so much I created a course called THE BRADBURY TRIO. (I will be teaching the first version of this course again in the fall. Stay tuned for details.)

Personal recommendations to get you started:

Essays by: Natalie Goldberg, Ray Bradbury, Zadie Smith, David Sedaris, Roxane Gay

Short stories by: Nancy Stohlman, Kathy Fish, Neil Gaiman, Kelly Link

Poems by: Mary Oliver, Billy Collins, Naomi Shihab Nye

UNPACK THE TEXT

When you read a piece you particularly like then study it. Ask yourself these questions:

1. What works in this piece and how does it make me feel?

2. How did the author achieve this feeling in me?

3. What are my favorite lines?

4. What can I try in my own writing that the author does?

Action: Write something inspired by the text you studied.

LEARN THROUGH YOUR EARS

One of the ways I take advantage of extra time is to listen to podcasts. I love writing podcasts in particular. I listen to podcasts mostly in the car and during workouts. There is a rotation but I always learn something.

Favorite Podcasts:

1. Write Publish and Shine

2. Ink In Your Veins Rachael Herron

3. Short Story Today

4. Otherppl

5. Qwerty Marion Roach Smith

Listen to what fuels you and write down the memories and stories that come to mind as you listen. They may or may not be directly connected to what you hear. Write the idea down anyway and then write about those snippets.

WRITE IN THE EDGES

I learned a long time ago that if I want to make sure I do something, I have to schedule it.

Right now, open your planner/schedule and plan a 10 minute writing time for the next 7 days.

During that time write:

1. A memory

2. Whatever comes to mind

3. The story about one of your notes

4. A reflection of a favorite line from something you read

5. A new story based on a title of something you have read

6. Morning Pages (Julia Cameron)

7. Anything in response to a journal prompt

8. How you are feeling in that moment

9. One sentence or three sentences

My advice is also to carry a notebook and write down ideas that strike you, an overhead conversation, an interesting detail, a 5 senses description of where you are throughout the day. I strive for at least 10 snippets a day.

If you don’t like the notebook use a note taking app on your phone. I am partial to Google Keep. It backs itself up (I lost a whole note app full of gems I can never get back – a whole other story.) You can share notes and also easily make it a Google Doc. You can also use voice to text in this app which works for me when walking or driving. If you run and try to talk there are weird connections of words the device will pick up!

CHALLENGES

Challenges give me a structure and a schedule. There are small challenges and large ones but I gravitate to 30 day or 100 challenges. Some examples are: Storyaday May and September, NANOWRIMO, #the100dayproject, Five Minute Friday (FMF), and Two Writing Teachers blogging.

Storyaday: This challenge is hosted by Julie Duffy and it is just what it sounds like: one story a day for the month of May and/or September.

NANOWRIMO: National Novel Writing month. This challenge is to write a 50,000 word manuscript in the month of November.

#the100dayproject: A creative challenge that starts at the beginning of April. The artist creates something every day. In 2020, I wrote a random sentence every day and am creating a short story based on these sentences. Some people do post it note drawings, or doodles, or paintings, or 100 word essays, or poems. It is up to you!

FMF: Hosted by Kate Motaung Kate posts a word on Friday with a great visual. You write with this word for five minutes.

Two Writing Teachers Blog: Every Tuesday, teacher writers post on their own blogs and link up on the TWT blog. In March there is a daily blog challenge where there is support and lots of comments.

Starting tomorrow you can follow my 10 Minute Creativity Challenge! If you subscribe, the post will show up in your inbox automatically.

JOIN A GROUP

There are lots of groups to choose from but you have to find the one where you are comfortable enough. You want to be slightly off center so you put the effort into the activity associated with the group. Taking a class or workshop often connects you to like minded people. You can reach out and stay connected to them after the course is over. I have found most of these groups have a season. They don’t last forever.

Almost every author you follow has a connection to a community somewhere. Googling can assist you in finding your people!

The point is you want to find a group that is nourishing to you. Some are paid, some are free but you may have to try a few before you find the one where you fit.

At this point, I have gathered my own community, but I also belong to Centered through the Sarah Selecky Writing School.

NEXT RIGHT STEP

Make a change in your writing life today. Write something. Buy a notebook and a pen you like.